Addressing Alabama’s physical and mental healthcare crisis
Alabama’s healthcare system is on life support. But the diagnosis is not terminal. And now we have a chance to begin making it better.
Pebblin Warren
Today is the last day of Alabama’s 2021 Legislative Session
The House has an 18-bill special order calendar for the last day of the 2021 Legislative Session.
Comprehensive gambling, lottery bill appears to be dead for the session
House Speaker Mac McCutcheon said he will not bring gambling to the floor of the House if they do not have the votes.
Senate committee approves mandatory kindergarten bill
The Senate Education Policy Committee approved the legislation requiring all first graders attend kindergarten or demonstrate proficiency.
Bill to make kindergarten mandatory carried over in committee
HB423 would require every 6-year-old who didn't attend kindergarten to pass a competency exam before being admitted to first grade.
Prisons ask for $42 million budget increase in 2021
Thursday the House and Senate General Fund budget committees were in Montgomery for a rare joint session as all of the State General Fund (SGF) department heads made their 2021 budget requests. Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner Jeffrey S. Dunn requested $563 million in FY2021 – a $42 million increase from the 2020 budget. Dunn … Continued
Legislature passes constitutional amendment to abolish elected school board
The Alabama Legislature passed a state constitutional amendment Friday that would replace Alabama’s State Board of Education with an appointed commission on education and change the education standards for the state. Senate Bill 397 was sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston. The bill was carried in the House by State Rep. Bill … Continued
House passes bill forcing parents to send children to kindergarten
Thursday, the Alabama House of Representatives passed legislation requiring that all parents enroll their children in kindergarten. House Bill 423 is sponsored by State Rep. Pebblin Warren, D-Tuskegee. Warren said that under current law kindergarten is not required. This law would make it mandatory. According to the synopsis, HB423 amends the, “Code of Alabama 1975, … Continued
Legislature to address education reform this week
For decades, Alabama state government has largely deferred decision making on educational matters to the elected state school board. The governor and legislature prepared budgets and the state school board and their appointed superintendent largely did things their way without a lot of interference. This week the legislature is considering a broad spectrum of bills … Continued
Lottery, budgets dominate as session winds toward a close
The Memorial Day holiday is approaching, and state legislators are saying privately that they are ready for this session to be over, but much work remains to be done. Only 21 of a possible 30 legislative days have been used, so this session could technically last through mid-June, but this session was sidetracked by a … Continued